1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to dental delivery tools and components thereof for use in dentistry and medicine and other fields. More particularly, the present invention is directed to dental delivery instruments configured for insertion into the mouth of a patient and having a plurality of fibers disposed along a desired length of the delivery end portion.
2. The Relevant Technology
There are many important dental compositions that need to be efficiently delivered to tooth surfaces during dental restorative procedures. Such dental compositions include, for example, hemostatic agents, etchants, bonding agents, disinfectants, sealants, and for indirect impression making, impression materials. Applicators and syringes with associated delivery tips are often employed to deposit such compositions onto the teeth and gums of a patient. Dental instruments are also sometimes employed adjacent teeth and gums without depositing a composition thereon, such as when probing, cleaning, or examining a tooth or gum.
Since dental instruments such as syringes and applicators are moved in such close proximity near teeth and gums of a patient, and sometimes even contact the teeth and gums of a patient, typical dental instruments can cause pain and irritation to the teeth and gums of the patient, particularly when the patient has injured or bleeding gums, or sensitive teeth, for example.
For instance, it is typical for practitioners to move a dental instrument adjacent the teeth and gums of a patient when the practitioner is removing air bubbles from dental compositions, such as impression materials, applied to the teeth and/or gums of a patient. Impression materials are applied to the teeth and allowed to harden to thereby make an impression of the teeth. The hardened impression materials are then used to make a mold.
When applying impression materials to a tooth, air bubbles can remain entrapped within the impression material, particularly when a syringe is used in dispensing the impression material. These air bubbles can prevent complete reproduction of detail in the impression material, resulting in a poor cast mold of the teeth.
The impression material is only useable for a few minutes once the base material and the catalyst material have been mixed. Thus, it is important to remove entrapped air bubbles as soon as possible. In conventional delivery methods, after a quantity of impression material has been delivered around the prepared tooth, an air syringe is sometimes used to blow against the impression material. This can help to break up entrapped bubbles, but is not always predictable and can result in additional air bubbles becoming entrapped in the impression material. In addition, time is wasted addressing this issue while working time of the impression material is passing.
Although bristled dental instruments are highly useful for a variety of different purposes, such as removing air bubbles, one drawback relating to typical bristled instruments is that the instruments can contact and irritate sensitive root, nerve, and gum tissues. During use of bristled dental instruments, the instruments must necessarily be moved adjacent root, nerve, and gum tissues. In order to be effective, the instruments must be moved close enough to the teeth and gums that the bristles can be brushed against a composition placed on the teeth and gums.
Despite the greatest care exercised by the dentist, it is generally very difficult, if not impossible for the dentist to move a dental instrument adjacent the teeth and gums of a patient without, on occasion, accidentally abutting an end of the instrument against the teeth and gums. The contact of the instrument against the teeth and gums can be particularly painful in the event of an abscess, injury, sensitive gums, missing teeth, and other conditions potentially causing pain upon contact with a dental instrument.
Another challenge within the art relates to the movement of dental instruments into spaces between teeth and into or adjacent crevices and tight spaces within teeth, such as during delivery of dental materials therein. This challenge is increased when sensitive teeth and gums are involved.
What is therefore needed is a dental instrument and a method for using the dental instrument in a manner that does not injure the teeth and gums of a patient when the dental instrument contacts the teeth and gums. What is also needed is a dental instrument having at least some degree of fibrous covering without causing injury or pain in the event of contact between a dental instrument and the teeth or gums of a patient. What is also needed is a dental instrument that is readily placed into spaces between teeth and into or adjacent crevices and tight spaces within teeth, such as during delivery of dental materials therein or during a cleaning procedure.
Another challenge within the art that relates to the delivery of dental compositions relates to the difficulty of accessing the sides of a dental surface, such as the interior surfaces of a cavity formed within the tooth of a patient. While it may be possible to deliver a dental composition to the top or bottom of a cavity or root canal from a delivery tip, it is often difficult to spread the composition on the interior walls of a cavity formed in the mouth without having to carefully manipulate the dispensing device. What is therefore also needed is a dental delivery instrument with which it is convenient to deliver a composition to the walls of a dental surface, such as the interior walls of a cavity or root canal.